Formula E’s AI film finalists head to BFI IMAX on 22 October
The Formula E Creators Challenge will screen its shortlisted AI films at London’s BFI IMAX, using Google AI tools and the GEN4 racing car.
Nine AI-made short films are heading towards a screening at London’s BFI IMAX as part of the Formula E Creators Challenge, an international competition built around the electric racing series’ new GEN4 car.
The challenge invited creators to make films lasting up to 60 seconds using Google AI tools and official Formula E GEN4 assets. The shortlisted entries are due to screen at BFI IMAX on 22 October 2026, when the category winners will also be announced.
The competition has three categories: the Independent Creator Award, the Agency Creator Award and the Flow Innovator Award. These recognise individual creators or teams, creative agencies and entrants developing an end-to-end production pipeline using Google Flow.
The rules are unusually specific about how the films must be made. All video must be generated using Google models, while still images and audio may be created using other tools. The official GEN4 asset kit must appear on screen for at least four seconds.
The restrictions make the competition a useful example of how AI filmmaking can operate within a defined creative brief. Entrants have freedom to develop their own stories and visual styles, but they must work within clear requirements around the source material and production process.
There is also an ownership distinction. Creators retain ownership of their films as creative works, but they do not own Formula E material included from the asset kit. The rules also provide Formula E with a licence to exhibit and promote the films for three years.
The challenge is free to enter for eligible participants aged 18 and over, although submissions have now closed. Shortlisted entrants receive tickets to the screening, while category winners receive a VIP Formula E race experience with a contribution towards travel costs.
The event demonstrates how established entertainment and sports organisations are experimenting with AI-assisted creative competitions. It also gives viewers a chance to see how different filmmakers interpret the same racing subject within a tightly defined format.
The next milestone is the London screening on 22 October, when the films can be assessed as finished pieces rather than simply as concepts or demonstrations of AI tools.
Where to find the films: The official Formula E Creators Challenge website lists the competition details and screening information. Public availability of every finalist film after the event has not been confirmed.
Official source: https://gen4challenge.com/
